Itamae AO offers an intimate omakase experience in Midtown with exceptional flavors, friendly service, and an engaging chef’s counter vibe that leaves diners enchanted.
"Semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water." - Erin Perkins
"A 10-seat counter focusing on Nikkei cuisine, offering a bold tasting menu with Peruvian-Japanese flavors. Chef Nando Chang presents dishes like lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi and creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops." - The MICHELIN Guide
"A restaurant within a restaurant, this 10-seat counter by Chef Nando Chang in Midtown looks to set a new standard for Nikkei cuisine in the region. Those familiar with the chef’s past work in the Design District will take heart in how classic Peruvian-Japanese flavors as well as signature dishes have been reworked, reimagined, and refined. Searing levels of acidity and spice figure prominently on this bold tasting menu, often in the form of leche de tigre. From lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi to creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops and parmesan, the cooking possesses style and substance in spades. Sourcing is a priority, with whole fish flown in from Japan, later to be broken down and occasionally strung up in dry-aging fridges along the wall." - Michelin Inspector
"Pan Con Tomate The pan con tomate is proof that some of the most delicious things in life are also the simplest. And while Aita’s version is a little less simple than the ones I’ve tried thanks to the addition of mussels, peppers, and little dollops of a fantastic aioli situation - it’s also probably the best I’ve ever had. Aita is a new vendor in MIA market, a Design District food hall, that identifies as a “somewhat Spanish snack bar.” This place is really worth a trip if you’re looking for lunch in the area, not only for the pan con tomate, but also for the shrimp skewers, the patatas bravas, and just about everything else on their great menu." - ryan pfeffer, carlos c olaechea
"Popular Miami Design District Nikkei restaurant, Itamae, has announced it will end its current a la carte service on August 27 and move into a new location in Midtown Miami under a (slightly) new name and new concept: Itamae Ao. The new restaurant, housed next door to its sister restaurant Maty’s, will offer a more intimate omakase experience accommodating only 12 guests at a time." - Olee Fowler
